Fall of the Hunter
by Quazie89
Summary: Men return to the jungle, and Mowgli and Baloo loose someone special...


Fall of the Hunter

1

Deep within one of India's wild jungles, a man village stood, nestled, in the heart of a copse of trees. Around these trees a bumbling river wound its way around the village's boundary.

Shanti, a girl from the village, visited this river everyday. She would carry a pot of water cautiously over her head, balancing her feet over the slippery rocks that trailed down to the water.

She hardly ever encountered anyone on her errands. The jungle had always been regarded as a dangerous place to her people, and no one dared entered its dark embrace unless it was hunting season. Only then were hunters allowed to enter the jungle and nobody else.

Everything changed when, one day, Shanti met the boy. He had been a skinny little thing. She had caught him spying on her from a tree branch that hung, suspended, over the river.

Oh, how his eyes had widened when he realized she had spotted him! In a cute, flattering little way, he had stumbled and slipped from the tree branch in shock. The entire time Shanti had giggled and batted her eyelashes at him, seducing the poor boy into her own, normal world.

Now, that little boy, whose name was Mowgli, had become a part of her family. He was like a second brother. Sometimes she thought he was something much more but she would never admit her feelings to anybody.

Ranjan, her other brother by blood, suspected that something was going on between her and Mowgli. She couldn't keep much from her impish sibling, who was into everything. He constantly prowled about the village like a jungle cat, seeking knowledge and gossip. He was going to get into some serious trouble someday.

Shaking her head, Shanti flipped her black braid off of her shoulder and sauntered toward the village. Having just finished her daily chore, she was ready to go back home.

A playful roar erupted through the jungle when she took her first step. Alarmed, but not too frightened, Shanti swerved around, keeping a tight grip on her pot. She knew it was Baloo even before the big, loveable bear lumbered out of the jungle to cross the stream. "Hello, Baloo! What brings you back here?" Shanti gently lowered her pot to the ground. No longer afraid of the great, big, oaf, she ran into Baloo's mighty, loving embrace. "Any news?"

Baloo's kind, beady eyes turned sad and ancient in an instant. "Gosh, Shanti, I don't know how to tell you…but it sure is great to see you!" His smooth, lazy, voice washed over Shanti like her mother's milk. She didn't miss the tinge of grief that laced it.

"Baloo, what's wrong?" She gently nuzzled her face across his cheek. The bear clasped her tightly. His claws didn't hurt. She didn't feel anything but his heartbreak.

"Kid…I've got some bad news…Mowgli's not going to like what I've got to say." His face crumpled. "You're not going to either…" His massive frame quaking, he warily returned her feet to the ground.

"What is it, Baloo?" Shanti demanded firmly, almost sounding like her mother whenever she or Ranjan got into trouble. Baloo howled and sunk to the ground.

"Oh, it's terrible, Shanti! Men are back in the jungle, and they've got fire sticks!" He concealed his tear-streaked eyes with his paws. He wailed uncontrollably. Pitying him, Shanti gingerly stroked his furry muzzle.

"You mean the weapons that make the exploding noises?" she questioned, familiar with what he was referring to. Despite the fact that Shanti would never intentionally harm another living creature, her father had taught her everything about hunting. He said it would be wise for women to have knowledge of any manly sport, for such familiarity with those things made women more attractive to men.

"Yes, the boom boom noises!" Baloo sniffed. His voice cracking, he added, "One of them struck Baggy!" Shanti gasped and placed a hand over her trembling mouth.

"Oh, no! Not Bagheera!" She began to cry. Extending her arms across Baloo's wide neck, she choked, "Is…h-he…d-dea…?" She couldn't bring herself to finish the word. It was just too painful to think about, let alone say out loud. Baloo violently shook his head.

"Not y-yet…b-but he'll be g-gone by m-morning!" he stammered. Shanti cried out mournfully.

"We've got to tell Mowgli." She shakily unattached herself from Baloo's back, which heaved up and down with the force of the bear's sorrowful sobs.

"Yes, you're r-right…but we can't tell h-him how it h-happened." Baloo painfully raised his enormous head. "If we do, he'll go after the man and…he'll get hurt, too. I can't let that happen!" He forcefully rose up and inflexibly clutched his paws into fists. He roared a challenge. Shanti gripped at her ringing ears.

"I'll right, I'll tell him. We'll be out here by nightfall. Be strong, Baloo!" Shanti encouraged the bear, waving him goodbye as she fled back into the village. She hadn't realized she had forgotten her pot until she returned to the hut.

2

Mowgli was swinging from a hammock when Shanti barged into the hut. He sat upright when he saw her teary eyes. Flinging himself from the hammock, he shouted, "Shanti, what's wrong? What's happened?" He gently squeezed her flushed cheeks.

"It's Bagheera, Mowgli! He's been hurt! Baloo says he's hurt really bad!" She flung her arms around Mowgli, who tittered backwards a bit before steadying himself against Shanti.

"How did this happen?" Pulling her away gradually, he gracefully caressed her hopeless expression. "Is he…is he going to...d-di…" He couldn't even bring himself to suggest such a gruesome possibility. Shanti's eyes were bright with her strong tears.

"Baloo says he'll be gone by morning. He said it would be okay if we waited until dark to see him. Our parents wouldn't have let us out, anyway, so I thought it would be best." She snuffled. Mowgli brushed one of her tears away with a caring finger. She smiled sadly.

"Thank you Mowgli. I knew I could count on you." She gave him a swift kiss and bounded out of the hut. From the back of the room, Ranjan began to jeer.

"Mowgli and Shanti, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage –" The rest of the fictional tale was blocked by Mowgli's hand, which draped over Ranjan's mouth.

"Hush! This is very serious matter, Ranjan!" The older brother adopted a serious demeanor that he had seen his father use a thousand times. Bending down, he peered anxiously into Ranjan's mischievous façade and hissed, "Bagheera's hurt pretty badly. You remember good old Bagheera don't you? You used to love to tug at his tail even though he hated it and…he was a hero in all of those great stories I told you, remember?" Ranjan's face fell.

"How could I forget Bagheera, Mowgli? He was like my uncle!" He shot Mowgli a determined glare. "I'm going with you and Shanti!" He stuck his lips out stubbornly. Mowgli firmly shook his head.

"No, Ranjan! It's too dangerous for you! There's always a chance that Shere Khan could've survived that last encounter he had with me!" He paced about the room. "Now just wait here with me. You should be in bed when Shanti comes. Mom and Dad will make sure of it!" Ranjan groaned. He really hated his brother sometimes.

3

Baloo prowled outside the village. The entire day he had sat and watched the sun sink below the jungle's leafy canopy. As it got darker, he couldn't help but think of Bagheera. His friend was hanging on to life by a thread, and Baloo didn't want the big cat to suffer as much as he had after being wounded by Shere Khan. Wrinkling his snout, Baloo leaned back against a nearby tree. He splayed his paws across his bulging belly and closed his tired eyes. _The kids should be here anytime,_ he thought. It wouldn't be much longer.

The moon had just taken the sun's place when Shanti and Mowgli came pounding out of the village. Breathlessly, they ran up to Baloo, who slowly opened his eyes. "Hey, you made it! Let's go see Baggy!" The kids helped him up.

Journeying into the jungle, Baloo tried to keep things as quite as possible. He knew there were plenty of dangers lurking around them, waiting for a chance to jump out at them. He kept his eye out for the hunter.

Nothing disturbed their venture for awhile. Sometime during their stroll, however, Baloo heard the crunch of leaves. He sniffed and flared his nostrils. He recognized the scent of the man who had put his friend's life in jeopardy.

"Stay back! It's the hunter!" Baloo braced himself. Spreading his legs apart in a battle stance, he concealed the kids with his, huge, shaking arms. He heard the click of a trigger.

"Mowgli! I found you, Mowgli! I knew I would!"

Baloo roared as the high, youthful voice floated over them. He looked behind him for a split second and saw Ranjan running at them. The kid was moving at full speed. Fearful for the boy's safety, Baloo whirled around and blindly swung out his paw. His claws raked human skin.

There was a loud shout that was quickly followed by the booming crackle of a gun going off. Baloo shivered as he felt the bullet whiz by his ear. He hoped it hadn't struck one of the kids. He hoped they had had enough sense to duck.

"Look out, Baloo!" Mowgli yelled, and Baloo blinked. The hunter was charging at him in a raging fury, brandishing his gun. Thinking quickly, Baloo bowed and bowled his head into the man's stomach. The human went tumbling to the ground.

"Get him, Baloo!" Ranjan was shouting as Mowgli held him in a tight grip. Growling, Baloo took the kid's advice and pinned the man to the ground. Holding the hunter's terrified gaze within his own, Baloo flashed his fangs in warning. The man quickly scrambled out from under Baloo as the bear released his hold. The terrified human ran off into the heart of the jungle, where the wolves would surly eat him.

Mowgli was angry. "Why didn't you finish him off Baloo?" The kid gazed hurtfully up at Baloo, who shrugged.

"I don't like killing kid. Now let's go." The great bear shoved Mowgli further into the jungle. Ranjan and Shanti followed closely behind.

4

Bagheera made a face. Licking his paws, he grimaced. He could smell the blood on his wound. He could taste it. He could feel it slowly killing him. He wanted to get up so badly.

His lean flanks heaving, Bagheera scanned the dark atmosphere outside of the cave. He suspected it was quite cold out but he felt fairly warm. Baloo had covered him with leaves earlier to hide his wound.

Panting, Bagheera let his tongue roll out. His vision becoming blurry, he could barely make out the dark, stripped shape that was stalking toward him. He knew who it was at once.

"Well, well, if it isn't good old Bagheera." The silky, menacing voice of Shere Khan soared into the cave. Bagheera felt his black fur ripple with intensity. He barred his fangs weakly.

"What are you doing here?" He avoided meeting the great tiger's intimidating, glowing eyes. Khan chuckled.

"I've come to tell you a bit of news. It's about Mowgli." A devious grin lit the tiger's face.

Baheera moaned. "What? What have you done to Mowgli?" He struggled to raise his voice above a pitiful whisper. Khan slyly began to pace outside the cave's entrance.

"Poor, innocent little Mowgli. He was killed by a hunter while he was out playing with Shanti. He forgot all about you. I think you would feel better if you just let go." He sat down on his haunches. Bagheera felt his life slipping from him. His ears perked up as a wolf howled in the distance.

"Hmmm…it sounds like the pack has caught something…I believe I'll go and salvage it. Farewell, Bagheera." Khan gracefully rose and padded sneakily back into the jungle.

Bagheera fell into oblivion.

5

When they came upon the cave, Mowgli spotted the limp form at the entrance to the grotto and knew it was Bagheera at once. Sobbing, Mowgli knelt down before the fallen body of the once great hunter.

"Oh, Bagheera, poor Bagheera. Why you?" He dug his fingers into the cat's beautiful, ebony fur and began to weep. He wept long into the night.

The next morning, Mowgli awoke. Yawning, he remembered the night's rough events and knew he had cried himself to asleep. Standing up, he glanced down at Bagheera's lifeless body. Kneeling before the feline's muzzle, he pulled one of Bagheera's eyelids open and stared into the cat's wise, ancient eyes. They were seeing something Mowgli couldn't.

"Come, Mowgli, we've got to go," Baloo called out softly to him. Mowgli looked over his shoulder at the mournful bear. Before leaving the cave, he planted a soft kiss on Bagheera's nose and backed slowly away.

"What are we going to tell Mom and Dad?" Shanti asked Mowgli once they were on their way again. Mowgli rubbed sleepily at his watery eyes.

"Nothing, I guess. We'll just tell them that we lost Ranjan in the jungle and it took us a long time to find him. They'll believe that," he yawned. He felt so old and tired. He had been through far too much despair.

_No one should loose a friend like Bagheera,_ he thought. _No one._

Later that day, after they had been in the village for a good while, Mowgli and his friends held a secret tribute to their good old friend Bagheera. The little ceremony took place at the river, where Shanti journeyed everyday to fetch the water. Mowgli took awhile to work up the courage to say what he meant to say. He was the last one to make his little speech, which consisted of a few loving words and a long good bye. When he was finished, and everybody else had voiced their gratitude, the mourning group of friends departed and went their separate ways.

At night, when Mowgli and the rest of the village were asleep, Mowgli had a wonderful dream. Bagheera was in it. The panther told him, "I'll always be with you Mowgli. Don't give up hope. Watch out for Shere Khan. I'll always be watching over you and your friends."

Mowgli woke up the next morning with a big smile on his face.

THE END


End file.
